Psychology - Research Methods - Experimental Designs

Question 1

Experimental designs

Answer 1

how the participants are organised within the experiment. There are three main types of experimental designs

Question 2

What are the three main types of experimental designs?

Answer 2

Independent groups, Repeated measures, Matched pairs

Question 3

Experimental condition

Answer 3

a group of people who are exposed to the independent variable

Question 4

Control condition

Answer 4

group receives no treatment and are used as a base line level to compare results against

Question 5

What are controls in an experiment?

Answer 5

Randomisation, Standardisation, Random allocation

Question 6

randomisation

Answer 6

use of chance in order to control for the effects of bias when deciding the order of conditions. This is important if you are using a repeated measures design and the same participants are taking part in two different conditions.

Question 7

Standardisation

Answer 7

Using exactly the same formalised procedures and instructions for all participants in a research study - this improves the reliability of the study

Question 8

Random allocation

Answer 8

An attempt to control for participant variables in an independent groups design which ensures that each participant has the same chance of being in one condition or the other

Question 9

Independent group design

Answer 9

Different participants used in each of the conditions. So each group of participants are independent from one another. Participants are usually randomly allocated to each condition to balance out any individual differences.

Question 10

What are the advantages of independent groups design?

Answer 10

• Order effects will not occur as there are different participants in each condition, - Chance of demand characteristics reduced as participants only take part in conditions that influences their performance or behaviour - Participants aren’t lost between trials as they only take part in one condition and then leave

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of independent group designs?

Answer 11

• More participants are needed compared to a repeated measures designed - Always a chance that the different results gained are due to individual differences rather that manipulation of the independent variable

Question 12

Repeated measures design

Answer 12

each participant is tested in all conditions of the experiment.

Question 13

What are the advantages of repeated measures designs?

Answer 13

• No individual differences between conditions so only measures effect of IV on DV - Half as many participants needed compared to individual group design

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of repeated measures design?

Answer 14

• Order effects may affect results, but counter balancing could be used - Demand characteristics are more likely to occur using repeated measures designs as participants are involved in the entire study and they may guess aim of the study

Question 15

counterbalancing

Answer 15

when half the participants do condition A first and then condition B second and the other half of the participants do condition B first and condition A second. Changing the order of the tasks helps to reduce order effects and negative impacts on data collection.

Question 16

Matched pairs design

Answer 16

different participants are used in all of the conditions, just as with the independent groups design. However, participants in the two groups are measured on characteristics important for that study

Question 17

What are the advantages of matched pairs designs ?

Answer 17

• less risk of order effects using matched pairs design as participants only take part in one condition - Individual differences are less likely to occur as the groups have been closely matched on specific characteristics

Question 18

What are the disadvantages of matched pairs designs?

Answer 18

• Twice as many participants are required compared with a repeated measures design, researchers need to gain access to a large number of participants - Matching process is difficult and time consuming and individual differences cannot be completely controlled and removed

Question 19

Order effects

Answer 19

occurs when participants responses in the various conditions are affected by the order of conditions to which they were exposed